Inkjet technology is widely used for precisely and rapidly dispensing small quantities of fluid. Inkjets eject droplets of fluid out of a nozzle by creating a short pulse of high pressure within a firing chamber. During printing, this ejection process can repeat thousands of times per second. Ideally, each ejection would result in a single ink droplet which travels along a predetermined velocity vector for deposition on the substrate. However, the ejection process may create a number of very small droplets which remain airborne for extended periods of time and are not deposited at the desired location on the substrate.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.